


Retellings

by orphan_account



Category: Princess Tutu
Genre: F/M, Fairy Tale Style, Framing Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 23:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2002893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fakir tells Ahiru a story while she recovers from an illness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Retellings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moelskerdeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moelskerdeg/gifts).



Outside the small house, wind rustled the dying leaves of the town's trees as clouds gathered overhead; inside, soup simmered on a hot stove while one of the cottage's two occupants sliced the fresh bread he'd purchased that morning. Skill guided his hands, and the cuts made in the loaf were as precise as his sword-strokes had once been years before.

That thought made Fakir pause as he set down the knife. How long had it been since he'd picked up a sword? He'd tried practicing with it once or twice after the conclusion of Drosselmeyer's story, purely out of curiosity, but had quickly found that his heart just wasn't in it. After all, it wasn't his true role, perhaps never had been, and he'd lost the taste for it besides. That seemed to belong to a different him, one that he'd forsaken forever. The sound of the wind right now even reminded him of the wind through the trees the night he'd spoken aloud the vow to never go back to the person he'd once been. That fool who'd only swung a sword around and cruelly controlled Mytho – he'd laid him to rest once and for all that night as he embraced who he truly was and used his long-forgotten power to pull Ahiru out of Drosselmeyer's world. To him, the sword that lay gathering dust in a corner of Charon's workshop – for he'd declined to bring it with him when he and Ahiru moved here – symbolized all that he'd been and cut ties with. He'd always be marked with the way his fictional counterpart had died, but by setting aside the sword he'd once clung to he'd been spared sharing that fate. Pen and paper, by contrast, stood for all that he was now, an unhappy destiny defied and changed into a future full of hope.

No one embodied hope more than Ahiru, though. As he buttered a slice of bread, he couldn't help but let his gaze stray for just a moment to the small scar on the back of his hand, the one he'd gotten while trying to _stop_ the flow of words from himself, stop them from killing her as Drosselmeyer had wanted. It too symbolized the new and improved version of himself, showing that he was no longer the selfish fool who'd sneered at Mytho risking his physical well-being for Ahiru's sake as being something "pointless". Ahiru herself had had a different reaction to the injury, though, especially at first. She'd been so upset when she'd learned what had happened, and once she could speak again as a girl had told him she felt like she owed him _something_ for saving her like that. No, he'd told her, no: you owe me nothing. If anything, she should think of it as a repayment for how she'd saved _him_ , because without her to inspire and guide him, he wouldn't have been able to rewrite himself and his own destiny, and he wouldn't have been able to help anyone else either. A part of him would always feel that she was better than he was, but at the same time it was important to acknowledge that they were, in fact, equals. He could never have had that sort of dynamic with Mytho even if the feelings he'd once had for him had ever been returned, not with their history. But he could and did with Ahiru, and that was something he was always conscious of and glad for. Their story was one they wrote _together_ , a collaboration between partners.

He kept his attention on the soup even while thinking about her, and once it seemed hot enough he ladled it into two bowls and carefully stacked them onto a tray with the bread and some tea. He carried it all upstairs with the utmost caution, and somehow managed not to spill anything on the way to their bedroom. He'd left the door open, so it was easy to get back inside where Ahiru was waiting for him.

"Fakir?" Her voice was still so weak and sniffly, her face pale, and his heart ached a little. It wasn't a life-threatening illness, but all the same he hated seeing her so miserable. "Is – is dinner ready?"

"Yeah." He smiled as her expression brightened at the sight of the food. "Are you hungry?"

"Y-yeah!" Ahiru sat up, and paused to wipe at her nose; only when she was done did Fakir set the tray down on the bed, and move to the other side to sit beside her. "Oh… you're gonna eat in here with me? Y-you don't have to do that, I know I look really gross right now and it probably puts you off your food…"

"Don't be silly." He kissed the top of her head, where her cowlick seemed a little droopy. "I'm not going to just leave you."

"Ah! Don't do that!" Ahiru shook her head. "You – you might get sick again! I'm worried about that as it is with you taking care of me like this…"

"Nonsense. I'll be fine – I've already had this. That's how you got sick, remember?" he reminded her. "You nursed me through it. I can't just leave you on your own and not return the favor."

"W-well, yeah, but… what if you get sick again? A-and then _I_ get sick again taking care of you and it just keeps going on and on and we don't ever get better?" She wrung the top of the blanket a little. "I – I don't want that to happen…"

"It won't. Silly duck." He gently nudged her. "Come on. Eat while it's still hot."

"Oh – oh yeah… sorry…" Ahiru picked up a piece of bread and began to eat it. Fakir almost laughed at that – all these years as a human, and she still went for the bread first at every meal. "Oh, this is pretty good."

"Yeah," Fakir agreed. "Not as good as yours, though." Ahiru blushed.

They ate mostly in silence, the quiet broken up by an occasional sniffle or cough from Ahiru. She was starting to get better, but still needed lots of bed rest and gentle foods that wouldn't upset her stomach. It was hard on her not to be as active as she normally was, but she just didn't have the energy or capability for most things now. So she spent the majority of the day in bed being tended to by Fakir, who got her whatever she needed and stayed close by so he could respond right away, alternating little naps with periods of reading or knitting. He wrote or read while she did those things, or sometimes just watched her little hands at work as she knitted.

After they were done eating he put everything back on the tray, and was nearly to the door with it when she said his name. "Fakir?"

"Yeah?" He turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"I'm bored." The expression on her face became something like a pout, and it was so cute he almost smiled. "And I don't _wanna_ go to sleep yet. So, um... could you tell me a story? If – if it's not too much trouble…"

"Of course it isn't." This time he did smile. "Just let me take care of these, and then when I come back I'll tell you a story. All right?"

"Y-yeah, of course!" Ahiru beamed at him. "Thank you!"

He nodded at her and then headed downstairs to wash the dishes. He tried to work quickly but thoroughly, and while he scrubbed and rinsed and dried he thought about story ideas. Once he was done he hurried back to their room, where Ahiru was still sitting up and waiting for him. "Just another minute now," he told her. "I just have to change, and then I'll be right there and we'll start."

"Okay." Ahiru watched him put on his sleep clothes, and once he'd rejoined her in bed she snuggled up next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "What kind of story are you going to tell me?"

"What kind do you want?" Fakir shifted so he could slip his arm around her.

"I don't care. Oh – no – I mean – " Ahiru flushed a little. "Th-that sounds bad… I just mean that… that I'll be happy no matter what kind of story you tell me, cause I always love your stories…"

"It's all right, I knew what you meant." He lapsed into silence for a moment and stroked her hair as he gathered his thoughts, recalling his musings from downstairs. "Well then…" He took a deep breath, and began the story. "Once upon a time…"

\---

Once upon a time, there was a princess who was beautiful and wise, yet she was also unhappy. Her unhappiness was borne from the attention given her by a wicked sorcerer who sought her as his wife. She refused him, and because he would not accept her refusal he saw to it that she was kidnapped from her home and brought to his tower unwillingly. But before he could force her into marriage, she was rescued by a prince to whom she had already given her love. He endured much suffering and many trials to reach the tower, and when he reached the top slew the sorcerer and rescued the princess. He then took her away to his own kingdom, where they wed and would have lived happily ever after.

Yes, their happy ending was by no means guaranteed at that point. For you see, the sorcerer had the last laugh, even in death. With his final breath he uttered the words of a curse that he laid upon the couple and all others of their kingdom: all within the walls of the palace and city were transformed into crows, and as additional retribution were sealed inside, so that even their wings could not bear them to freedom. No one from outside could enter to try and help them, though they could see the unfortunate citizens flitting about and occasionally beating themselves in vain against the invisible barrier.

It was indeed a cruel fate, yes. But despite the severity of the situation, all hope was not lost. For the princess had a younger sister, who possessed beauty, wisdom, kindness, and bravery in great amounts, and word eventually reached her of her sister's plight. Hearing of what had befallen her and the people of her new home, the younger princess resolved to do what she could to break the curse. Their parents, fearing the loss of another daughter, protested her plans, begging her to leave it for some hero or other to accomplish. However, her heart once set was unshakable, and so she packed what provisions she would need and set out alone.

As she had no knowledge of magic that might aid her in her quest, she went first to the enchanted forest that laid not far from her kingdom, for she had heard tell of a benevolent witch who lived at its heart, and felt it would be wise to seek her help in dispelling the curse. All manner of legend seemed to have sprung up round the vast woods, in fact, and she felt the first pricklings of fear as she prepared herself to step inside. Many in her kingdom had claimed it was a place that unwary travelers ventured into and never returned from, caught in some otherworldly trap or run afoul of a terrible beast; there was no end to the strange things said to dwell within, and she had a moment of wondering if it might be better to turn back.

She did not turn back, no. She steeled herself, and said aloud: "I must not carry fear with me – there are too many people depending on my success. And anyway, who is to say that any of these frightful tales are true? It is possible that many of the people said to have been befallen by some terrible fate may simply have gotten lost, or never existed at all. I will enter the woods, and carry myself with caution, and do my very best. I will not let the words of others which may have no basis in fact turn me away."

So saying, she stepped into the forest, and began her journey. She did not know which way to go to find where the witch dwelt, but she had some confidence that she would be able to somehow, and traveled unerringly towards the center of the woods.

But lo! the forest presented more difficulties for her than she had expected. The paths wound and twisted through the trees in strange directions that sometimes seemed to lead her back around the way she had come, and the deep shadows made it difficult to see things at times. As a result, she tripped several times, and even walked right into a tree once, but thankfully escaped without injury, and did not lose any of the belongings she had brought with her. She encountered no fearsome creatures, but at times heard sounds the likes of which were never heard within the safety of the castle walls, and her heart quaked with fright as her fanciful imagination sketched out increasingly unsettling images of what could be lurking just beyond that thicket, or behind that fallen log, waiting to leap out at her and snatch at her with sharp claws.

None of these dreadful images came to pass, however, so do not worry overmuch for the young princess. She walked and she walked without company or the sight of any living thing save for the occasional rabbit or squirrel, and by and by realized that lunch time must have come and gone, if the position of the sun above her head was any indication. It was at that moment that her stomach made a piteous noise, as though begging for sustenance, and though she felt compelled in some way to keep going as it seemed as though she had made little progress in her travels, she nonetheless yielded to her body's demands and found a tall oak tree that cast a pleasant shadow on the ground, with a view of a pretty little clearing strewn with wildflowers.

No sooner had she sat beneath it, however, than a voice called down her, seemingly from the branches high above her head, greeting her and asking who she was and what business she had in the forest. Struck by surprise, she looked up into the tree for the source of the voice, and after some searching found it. Expecting a talking animal of some sort, she was startled to find that the voice was instead of human origin. A young man was perched atop a branch some several feet above her, and when their eyes met, she felt something strange within her that she never had before.

She did not know what it was, no. But she also had no time to ponder it, for he almost immediately leapt down from the tree to stand beside her where she sat upon the grass. He asked her again who she was and what business she had in the woods, and this is how she answered him:

"I am a princess from a nearby land, and I assure you that I mean this place no harm. I seek only the witch I have heard lives at its center, in hopes that I may obtain her assistance in breaking a curse that has befallen my sister and her entire kingdom. When I have seen her and spoken with her I shall leave in peace, no matter the result of the conversation." When this seemed to satisfy him, she spoke again and said: "Have I yet chosen a poor place in which to take my rest before continuing my journey? I only desired a spot in which I could eat a small meal and admire the lovely flowers, but if it is unsuitable I will move somewhere else."

The young man shook his head. "No," he told her. "You have done nothing wrong. It merely happens to be that you chose, by sheer coincidence, to rest beneath the tree in which I was already seated, and I felt curious about you. You need not fear harm from me; forgive me if I have frightened you."

"Not at all." She shook her head. "But I do wonder – have you had occasion to take lunch already this day? If not, I invite you to share mine, as I have brought plenty, and would not like to see you go without."

He regarded her with an expression she could not read for a moment, as though weighing her offer, and then nodded. "You are most kind. I thank you for your generosity." And, so saying, he sat down beside her, and she unpacked some food, and they ate together.

While they ate she asked him if he knew of the witch, which he said he did. She asked next if he knew the way to her house, and that too he did know. She was then going to ask if he would tell her which way to go, but he seemed to anticipate her question, and said that he would be most willing to guide her there himself, in return for her kindness to him and her obvious respect for the forest. She blushed and thanked him profusely, while also demurring that it was no hardship to share her food with him and really did not deserve any reward, she was only doing what anyone else would. He disagreed, telling her that other travelers had not been so kind, and that her quest in itself showed what kind of admirable person she was. They both seemed embarrassed by such words, and hastily diverted their attention to the cleaning up and repacking of her provisions before setting out towards the witch's house.

As they walked, it occurred to her to inquire as to how the young man was acquainted with the witch. Was he, she wondered, her son? Or her apprentice?

"In one sense I am neither, but in another I am both," he told her. When she seemed confused by his answer, he went on: "It is true that she created me, and I do assist her with things as she needs me to, but I was not birthed by her as humans typically are. I began my life as an oak sapling, and when she desired companionship and help she transformed me into a human. Thus I am as you see me now."

The princess could not help but feel amazement at this. "Then, she is even more powerful than the legends had told me! Forgive me if this seems impertinent, but it seems to me that if she could turn you from a tree into a human, than she could easily help me break the curse that lies upon the kingdom I am bound for." The young man expressed his curiosity about that, reminding her that she had mentioned a curse earlier but had neglected to say what sort. The princess blushed with embarrassment at her omission and answered him: "Oh, I am sorry, I did leave that out! A wicked sorcerer kidnapped my sister, you see, and would have forced her to marry him against her will had she not been rescued by the prince she loved. He slew the sorcerer, and they went back to his kingdom to marry, but the sorcerer had laid a dreadful curse upon them and the entire kingdom with his dying breath. When it took effect they and everyone else there were transformed into crows, and prevented even from flying free. So do you see why I am bolstered by hearing your tale? If the witch could turn you from a tree into a human, then restoring those poor people to their proper forms must be a simple task indeed."

The young man agreed with her that it did seem promising from what he knew of the witch's magic, and expressed his hope that she would be able to help the princess. He wanted to express again also his admiration for the princess and her bravery in setting out alone to accomplish this noble goal, but found his tongue held by some mysterious force he could not control. For he felt the same strange things upon beholding her as she did for him, and did not know how to name them just yet, only that he felt shy at the prospect of speaking certain things to her.

They did not have to walk very far to reach the witch's house, for unbeknownst to her the princess had drawn very near to it without realizing it. The young man walked with unerring certainty, leading her onto paths she might not have spied on her own, and before too long they stepped into a clearing, within which sat a small, cozy cottage. Smoke drifted up from the chimney, and the walls, roof, and even the door had all been painted to resemble various sweets and baked goods. It made the princess' stomach growl anew with hunger – for she had not brought dessert in her provisions – and the young man hid a smile at the mortified reaction that produced from her.

Inside the house the witch greeted them both warmly, welcoming the young man back home and offering hospitality to the princess without hesitation. A young girl who looked eerily like the witch hovered at her skirts, and was introduced as her daughter before being sent off to play with her toys. This the girl accepted without protest, and she rushed away, but not before saying that it had been nice to meet the princess. Freshly baked cakes were then set out at the table, and the witch bade the princess to tell her story. The tale of the wicked sorcerer and the cursed kingdom was recited again, and finished with a humble plea for assistance, laden with genuine praise for all that she had heard of the witch's power.

"Be calm, brave princess; for you need not fear my refusal," said the witch with a gentle smile. "Your spirit and your kindness in seeking to help others is admirable indeed, and I do not have it in me to turn you away. I will brew for you a potion that, when dispersed from atop the tallest tower in the city, will shower down upon the citizens in a healing rain to dispel the curse." The princess opened her mouth to begin offering her thanks, but the witch continued without seeming to notice. "However, I am missing three of the necessary ingredients, and the preparation required for the others prevents me from leaving my cottage and seeking them out. Therefore, I ask that you venture out into the forest again, and locate them for me whilst I make ready the other components of the potion."

The princess nodded. "Of course I will! What do you need, and where are they located?" Her heart was quavering again at the thought of entering the confusing forest and gathering unknown objects that she would have to deliver back to the house, but she forced herself to hide it and tamp it down. It was vital for her quest that she accomplish this task, and she must do it despite her fears, for the sake of all those depending on her.

"As to their location, you need not fear – I will send my son along with you to guide you so that you do not become lost. The forest is a vast and often treacherous place for strangers, but we know it well enough to pass through without danger or the threat of losing our way." Despite her efforts at hiding her feelings, the princess visibly relaxed at this, and the witch could not help but smile. "As to what I require, it is this: a speckled silver mushroom, water from the Wishing Spring, and a pouch of stardust. Bring these things back to me, and I will create for you the potion necessary to restore the people to their true forms."

This the princess said she would gladly do, and so she and the young man set off once again into the forest, in pursuit of the needed ingredients. The first thing they would seek, he said, was the mushroom, for the clearing in which it grew was closest to the witch's house of the three, though it still was not quite a short walk away.

"I do not mind that so much," said the princess. "I have been well fed and rested by now, and possess the strength for a long walk once again, and with a guide present I need not fear becoming lost or accosted by some fell power in these woods."

"Nay, you need not fear that as long as I am with you," the young man agreed. "I know the ways of this forest and am acquainted with all who reside in it, so you will be safe with me by your side."

"I am glad. And I am glad also for the company, for my journey up till now has been very lonely, and I am curious about these woods besides." She turned wide eyes on him. "Will you tell me all you know about this forest as we walk, to pass the time until we reach the clearing?"

He nodded his assent, and began to tell her many stories to entertain her with as they moved through the woods. He told her of his awakening as a human, of learning to use his new limbs and speak, and observe the world around him with eyes rather than the muted senses of a tree, and how he had been taught so much else besides by the witch. He regaled her with anecdotes detailing his encounters with various forest inhabitants, such as flower fairies and wood nymphs and spirits of the water – oh yes, there was a river that flowed through some parts of the forest, and many enchanted pools and springs besides. Her imagination was captivated by all that he had to tell her, and she listened with rapt attention, interrupting only a few times to ask eager questions that he answered before resuming his tales.

And so between one thing and another, it felt almost like no time at all had passed between leaving the witch's house and arriving in the secluded clearing where the mushroom she needed grew. It was not perfectly shaped, but instead had an odd and irregular form to it where trees and undergrowth had encroached upon its space. Nevertheless, there was more than enough room for many unusual mushrooms to grow freely and abundantly. She stared in awe at them all for a moment, before remembering her purpose in being there.

"Which one is the speckled silver one? How do we tell them all apart?" she inquired. For indeed, many did resemble each other, and she was unfamiliar with all. It would not do to bring back the wrong one and have to set out again, further delaying the release of the curse.

"It is simple, do not fear. That is the one we seek." He pointed to one mushroom, smaller than the rest, that grew in the rough center of the clearing, and at that time had some of the late afternoon sun shining down upon it from a gap in the forest canopies. "There is always only one, and it only ever grows in that particular spot."

"Oh, I see. But in that case, is it truly acceptable to take it?" She had upon her sweet face a look of distress. "I do want to break the curse, but if it hurts anyone else here to take this, I'll still feel bad…"

"You needn't." The young man shook his head. "A new one can only grow once the old one has been plucked, and it takes only the touch of both moonlight and starlight on that spot to cause it to sprout. If it is a clear night tonight, there may well be a new mushroom growing there by the morn."

"Then I will not worry!" The princess brightened at that, and once again the young man hid a smile at the expression on her face. She did not notice, however, and moved forward to pluck the mushroom from the ground. She walked with much care, so as not to tread on any of the other mushrooms, and was delicate and gentle with her hands as well when she took the required one from the ground. It seemed somehow to make the soft chime of a bell ringing when she removed it, and she wondered at that, but accepted it as the magic of that place. She placed it carefully within her bag of provisions, and turned her attention once more to her companion. "Where now shall we go?"

"To the Wishing Spring." He turned away, and led her out of the clearing by a different way than that which they had entered by. "It lies a shorter distance away from here than this place does from the witch's house."

"There are many enchanted springs in this forest, are there not?" she asked. When he confirmed it, she had another question. "Then, how is it you can tell the difference?"

"There are subtle markers, both in the water itself and in the terrain immediately around it. When we arrive there, I will show you how I know it is the correct one," he told her.

The princess was impressed, and told him so. "You know so much about this forest… and it is so beautiful and magical besides. I do love my kingdom, but I am also enamored of these woods and all I have seen within them. You must love it too."

"I am fond of it, yes." He hesitated for a moment. "Will you tell me about your kingdom? I have told you much of this place, but know nothing of yours and would remedy that."

"I would be happy to!" She then began to enthusiastically regale him with all that she could think of to tell him about her kingdom, about the castle she lived in and her own room in particular, how skilled the palace chefs were, the beauty of the gardens, how kind and warm the people were, how lovely and fun the city. Whenever she paused to draw breath, he asked her questions about some thing or other that he was particularly curious about, and she took to answering him with great gusto. And so it was that this leg of their journey seemed even shorter than the last had, not just due to the smaller distance between points, but also because of the joy with which the princess had told her stories, occupying them both happily until they reached the spring.

The Wishing Spring, he told her, could be distinguished by the indentations in the rocks that the water splashed over, making them resemble cups of a sort. That, he said, was so that they could catch the wishes of those who came here to ask for the things they desired. And the water itself, he went on to say, had a faint golden sheen to it if she would but look closely, which she did, and exclaimed happily over seeing. Lastly, the flowers that grew round it were called starflowers, so named for their star shape and the tiny silver speckles on their petals, which grew nowhere else but around wishing wells and wishing springs, and were nourished by starlight. They were birthed also from stars, being remnants of the dust of the shooting stars that people wished on in the absence of a convenient spring or well.

"They are so beautiful." The princess knelt close to the water's edge, and carefully cupped one of the flowers in her hands. "I have never been to a wishing well or spring before, so I have never seen one. I shall have to remember them well once I depart these woods."

"You do not seek to pluck one, and take it home?" he asked her.

"Never!" She shook her head. "To do so would be to kill it, and condemn it to a lonely death far from home and its friends… I could not do that to any living thing."

"You are kind." He smiled at her. "And wiser than you know, for once a starflower is plucked, it withers in an instant, and crumbles to dust. It cannot be used in any potions or ointments, for the dust is entirely without magical power, possessing less even than the dirt it grows from. It is the only plant in this entire forest that I have never been asked to retrieve for some brew or other."

"Oh! but how terribly sad for the poor flower!" the princess cried, and the young man agreed before handing her the vessel given to them by the witch to collect the water in. She filled it to the brim and capped it tightly before placing it in her bag beside the mushroom, and they continued on their way after that, again leaving the area by a path different from the one they had entered by. They had only just exited when the princess had another question for him. "Have you ever made a wish at that spring?"

"Only once." He stared up at what little they could see of the darkening sky. "But it has not been granted, and I wonder if it ever can be."

"Oh? Do tell me about it," the princess implored. "That is, if you do not mind speaking of it. If it is too personal, of course, you may decline."

"I do not mind." He shook his head. "Twas a simple wish – to leave this forest and see the world beyond it. You are right that I am fond of this place, but still my heart yearns to experience more. I do not feel it is any good for me to remain here as though I were still a tree, bound to one place."

"Oh! yes, I agree!" She nodded. "But – I do think that it is a wish you must grant yourself. You possess the legs of a human now, to replace your tree roots, and so you should use them to walk where you please, and explore as much of the world as you seek to see. If you wished to stay here, that would be fine, and so is leaving it… either way is good as long as it is the real you, your real wish. You should be true to yourself and seek what it is you want." She paused, and when she spoke again she seemed to blush. "If you like, you could come with me – I would be happy to show you my kingdom, at the very least."

The young man seemed to blush too, but in the encroaching darkness of the day's end she did not see it. "I will consider it. Thank you."

They spoke no more of her offer, but instead he asked her what her wishes were for, what she would have requested had she paused to make a wish at the spring. She told him that she currently wished most to free her sister's kingdom from the terrible curse, which made him entreat her to tell him – if she was comfortable doing so – what wish she held in her heart for herself, not for others. At the moment, said she, there was none.

More he would have asked her about that subject, had it not been for the distraction that loomed up before them at that very moment.

\---

Fakir stopped. For about a minute he didn't say anything, and just listened before finally speaking. "Ahiru?"

No answer came, only a soft chirp. Which in itself was his answer: Ahiru had indeed fallen asleep at some point. Fakir allowed himself a small smile at the sound. He knew it wasn't because of boredom that she'd drifted off, so he wasn't insulted. No, she'd simply gotten sleepy at last because of how much energy being sick drained from her. It wasn't so bad. They could always pick up the story tomorrow night, after all, and it was more important for her to get enough sleep every night.

He carefully eased her down onto the pillows; she made her chirpy noise again and snuggled up next to him when he turned the light off and laid down beside her. Her breathing was louder than usual and she snored a little thanks to being stuffed-up a bit still, but it thankfully didn't keep him awake long and he was soon asleep as well, with his hand curled around hers on the pillow.

The next day went a little better. Ahiru took it easy all day as usual, and after an early dinner she finally felt strong enough to take a shower instead of a bath. Fakir joined her in it for support, if needed, and she washed her hair for the first time since falling ill. Such a small and simple thing, but it made her feel better on some level.

"Sorry I've been so gross up to now," Ahiru said a while after getting out of the shower. Her hair was dry and Fakir sat on the bed behind her, braiding it. "That couldn't have been fun."

"Don't be silly." He leaned forward and kissed her head. Her cowlick seemed a little less droopy today, which he took as a positive sign. "You've got nothing to apologize for. And even if you did, I only care about you getting better."

"Th-thanks. Oh, but, um…" Ahiru fidgeted a little. "I'm so sorry about falling asleep during the story last night! It was so good and I was really enjoying it, but my eyes kept falling and I tried to stay awake, I really did, but then I just…" She let out a deep sigh. "Sorry."

"It's all right." Fakir finished braiding her hair and fastened the end of it, and then wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I can just pick up tonight when you're ready. I know you get tired easily when you're sick like this."

"I – I'm ready now!" Ahiru turned a little so she could look up at him with wide, eager eyes. "A-are you? Cause it's still early enough and I'm not tired yet even though I ate so much at dinner, I think the shower helped wake me up a bit more so I should be good to hear lots and lots before I get sleepy!"

"All right." He laughed softly at her excitement. "We'll continue it now, then."

"Yay!" She beamed at him, and then moved to her side of the bed and pulled the covers over her lap. Fakir joined her, and she snuggled up against him as she had the night before.

"What's the last thing you remember hearing?" Fakir asked as he put his arm around her.

"Hmmm… I think…" Ahiru concentrated hard as she tried to recall what she'd last heard. "I think… the princess had just asked him what his wish was for."

"Oh. Then you didn't miss much." Fakir stroked her hair. "She asked him what he wished for at the spring, and he said…"

\---

"It was a small and simple wish: to venture beyond the borders of this forest and see the outside world. I may no longer be a tree, but of late I have felt like one nevertheless, rooted here and isolated. I desire to see what lies outside, for I fear that I may wither otherwise."

"I know what you mean," the princess said, and there was sympathy in her gaze. "Yet, is that not a wish dependent on your actions, rather than on another's? The witch replaced your roots with human legs, and you should use them to walk where you will. If you want to stay here, then you should, but if you want to leave you should do that. If the real you is someone who wants to travel, then it's up to you to grant your wish. It is important, I think, to be true to yourself and seek out what you want." There was a moment's silence, and then she added one more thought: "You are more than welcome to come with me, if you like – I would be more than happy to show you my kingdom, at the very least."

In the growing shadows of the day's end, the young man did not see the blush on her cheeks as she made her offer, nor did she see his as he answered her after a moment's hesitation. "Thank you. I will consider it."

No further did they speak of her offer, choosing instead to converse of other things. The young man at one point inquired of her what she would have wished for, had she paused to wish at the spring herself. She answered without a moment's thought that her chief desire right now was to free her sister's kingdom from the terrible curse under which they labored. At that he frowned, and prodded her to tell him, if she felt comfortable doing so, what desire she bore for herself, rather than for others. She frowned as well, and confessed that at the moment she had none. She seemed to sink into deep thought at that, and he would have asked her more if he had not been distracted by their arrival at their last destination.

It was a tree that they looked upon, rising so high above the forest that it made even the tallest of the other trees seem like squat saplings in comparison. The princess, a girl of diminutive height herself, craned her neck nearly until it hurt but still could not discern where its tip reached. Indeed, it seemed to brush the very moon itself.

"Goodness!" exclaimed the princess as she gazed up at it. "This tree… it is so very tall! Why, I cannot even see the top!"

"It reaches up nearly to the very stars," the young man told her. "And so it is that stardust falls within it, for it is hollow, and it is here that we will collect the pouch of stardust required for the potion."

The princess then retrieved the pouch given to her by the witch from her bag of provisions, and carried it to the tree. The young man showed her where the hidden opening in the trunk was, and unsealed it for her that she might fill the pouch with some of its store of stardust. Once it was full to the brim, they closed the opening again and she replaced it in her bag, and they turned back the way they had come, to retrace their journey and return to the witch's house.

By the time they arrived at the witch's doorstep once more, they were very nearly overcome with hunger and fatigue. The witch welcomed them in warmly and bade them sit at her table to rest their weary feet and partake of the dinner she had prepared. She took from them the ingredients they had gathered, and promised them that the potion would be ready by morning. A room also had been made ready for the princess, and the young man showed her to it when they had eaten their fill at the witch's table. They bid each other goodnight, and both then fell into a dreamless sleep upon their comfortable beds.

When the next day dawned, they arose from their slumber to find breakfast laid out for them on the table, and that the witch had indeed been true to her word. The potion had been brewed and bottled while they slept, and now needed only to be taken to the cursed city and dispersed into the air as she had previously told the princess.

"However, there still remains the matter of entering the city," the witch told her as she prepared to depart. "I have sent out some birds to spy on the kingdom you spoke of, in hopes of acquiring information that will be useful to me, and they have told me that the city walls are locked tightly to bar all entry from without. However! all hope is not lost. Between this forest and the kingdom you seek there lies a small town, and within that town dwells a talented blacksmith who should be able to forge for you a key capable of opening the gates to the city. Seek him out on your way and tell him the story. I am certain he will agree to help, for he is possessed of a good heart."

She turned then to the young man, and asked him to guide the princess one more time, this time to the edge of the forest nearest the village where the blacksmith dwelt. He readily agreed, but then he surprised her by stating that he intended to stay with the princess and accompany her on the rest of her journey. "For I have long wished to see the world beyond these woods, and she has invited me to go with her, and besides which I am no longer needed now that you have your daughter to assist you in my place."

"Do not think that – you are not unnecessary in the slightest." The witch shook her head, and there was sadness in her eyes. "You are, of course, free to go, and I will not seek to stop you, but I must request that you will someday visit again. For I truly will miss you, and hope to see you again one day."

He seemed to take some pleasure in hearing that, and promised her that he would not stay away forever, and would return to see her after he had had his fill of the outside world. That satisfied her, and she bid him a fond farewell as he set out with the princess.

The princess was the first to say anything, before they had gone very far from the witch's doorstep. "I am glad you decided to come along after all," she told him, and she hid her blush by pretending to look over the contents of her bag. "I know it is what you wanted, and I will be glad of your company besides."

"It is because of you that I made the decision." He looked askance, to conceal the fact that he too was blushing. "Your words inspired me, as did your bravery in setting out on such a quest alone, for the benefit of others. I owe you my thanks for what you have done for me."

"Nonsense! I have done nothing at all!" she demurred. "You need not thank me."

He disagreed with her assessment but did not argue with her, and merely told her that he offered her his gratitude nonetheless, which she reluctantly accepted as she did not wish to be rude to him despite feeling that she merited none of it.

Yes, it was very sad. She was a kind and selfless girl, and wonderful in countless other ways, but not disposed to thinking well of herself. She saw her advice to the young man as merely speaking her mind, and her quest seemed to her to simply be the right thing to do, and glory for it was not among her desires, she wanted only to help those in need. Which is an admirable thing indeed, but does not change the fact that she was worthy of more praise than she believed she was.

They traversed the paths that he knew until they led to the very edge of the forest. When they had stepped out of the woods at last they took a moment to pause, so that the young man could take one last look backwards at his birthplace and bid it farewell for now. As soon as that was done they continued on their way, and came before very long to a small town. It was still fairly early in the morning when they arrived, but most of the citizens had already risen by then and were going about their daily tasks. They asked a passerby where they might find the blacksmith's house, and she kindly directed them to it. After she had been properly thanked they followed her instructions and soon enough found themselves at the forge they sought. The blacksmith himself was awake and working already, and regarded them with more than a little curiosity as they entered, though he also was welcoming, and invited them to sit down and tell him their story and what business they had with him.

The princess told him the tale of the cursed kingdom she had set out to free, and told him also of what the witch had said, finishing with the request for the making of a key that would allow her passage into the city. The blacksmith took a moment to ponder something, and when he spoke, he said this to her: "It would be my honor to forge a key for such a noble quest; however, I am lacking the three necessary components, and must ask you to seek them out for me. I would search for them myself, but the creation of such an item requires a special fire, and that will take time to build and tend. While I am preparing it, will you bring back for me the things that are required for the key itself?"

The princess told him they would, and asked what it was he needed them to find. The three things he required were the gold of love, the silver of regret, and the red of hope. Beyond that he could offer them no clues, for such a key was not amongst the things he had ever forged before, and he knew of them only from an old tome detailing the creation of magical objects and weapons. Though they felt confused by these instructions the princess and the young man nonetheless thanked the blacksmith, and departed his home that they might find the needed objects while he prepared the special fire.

"Where shall we look first?" the princess asked as they walked away from the blacksmith's house. "I haven't any idea what these things might be that he needs."

"Neither have I." The young man paused to look up at the sky; he was still unused to seeing it so clearly, instead of being restricted to small gaps in the forest canopy. "I have no more knowledge of this city than you do, and so I lack all ability to tell where we might begin our search. The only thing, I suppose, is to walk around and inquire after them, and keep our eyes open."

"That does seem like our only option at this point," she agreed.

So they began the search together, peeking around every corner and into all the shadows, and asking whomever they encountered for clues and help. No one that they met seemed to know a thing of what they sought, however, and nothing they saw brought a spark of recognition or inspiration into their minds. Frustration was just beginning to set in when the princess' attention was caught by a soft mewling coming from beneath a bush.

Yes, it was a cat. And what's more, it was a cat that clearly belonged to no one, that walked the streets alone without companionship. She could tell this because it was thinner than any house or barn cat she had ever seen, and had a look of loneliness in its eyes. Her kind heart was moved to pity and sorrow at the sight of it, and so she interrupted their ongoing search in order to kneel beside the cat and cautiously extend her hand, that she might pet it and offer some affection that she doubted it was given from anyone else. The cat received it nervously at first, but then soon warmed up to her, and even allowed her to lift it within her arms and hold it close. She carried it to a sunlit area of a small park, and set it down beside her as she and the young man unpacked some food from her bag, for the lunch hour was drawing near and they required nourishment. She shared their meal with the cat as well, who seemed most grateful, or at least it did until it ran away just after it finished eating.

No need to worry – it soon returned, bearing a gift for the kindhearted princess. In its mouth it carried something that shone in the light of the midday sun, and which it deposited beside her. She lifted it up to inspect it, and was then amazed by what she saw.

"Why! it is a wedding ring!" the princess exclaimed. "There are no names, but it has been crafted in the traditional manner of one. I wonder where it obtained such a thing."

"And it is made of gold." The young man's eyes met hers, and they both could tell that they were having the same thought. "Perhaps we have stumbled onto the gold of love for the key, quite by accident."

"I do think you are right!" She smiled warmly at him, and then turned her attention back to the cat. She gave it her thanks and additional affection, and it made several happy noises at her before wandering off, stopping several times before disappearing into the horizon to look back at her. She waved at it each time, and then when it had finally left she placed her focus on packing up the remnants of the meal, and putting the ring securely in her bag.

By and by they came to a ruined house, and the princess' thought was that they should search amongst the rubble for anything that might be one of the two objects still to locate. So they ventured inside, but soon found that nothing of use to them remained, no silver or red was there to be seen. However, in the course of their searching it came to be that they were separated, and she lost sight of the young man. Dread grew in her at this, and she called frantically to him over and over. At last, after several tries, he responded to her calls, and bade her join him behind the house. Through a thick undergrowth and past two trees she pushed, till she found him kneeling beside a grave nearly overrun with weeds and tall grass.

What was important about the grave was not the grave itself, though it did give them an important clue. Upon it rested an old and broken sword, and they both saw that the hilt was made of silver that had long ago tarnished. The inscription on the grave indicated that the bearer of the sword was a knight who had not fulfilled his duty in life, and made a wish that he be able to fulfill it in the next one. They agreed that it must be the silver of regret, and the princess placed the old hilt in her bag beside the ring before they turned to find their way back out of the ruins.

"I am sorry for worrying you," the young man said to her as they departed the house and stepped back onto the village streets. "I did not mean to give you a fright."

"It is all right." The princess shook her head. "Do not fret over it. I am merely glad that you did not fall into some dangerous area of the house, and it was a confusing and overgrown place besides, easy enough to seem to disappear in. Besides, you did find the second component of the key, so I am happy for that also." She did not speak of how quickly her heart had beat with fear when she thought of something happening to hurt him, and he spoke not of how it made him feel to see the depth of her concern for him.

Their affections for each other were growing at that point, yes. But neither had any idea of how to express them, and each feared that their feelings were unwelcome, so they remained silent. It was sad for them at that time, it is true. As for whether they would find a happy ending, that you will have to wait and see.

Now that they had acquired the gold of love and the silver of regret, only the red of hope remained to be discovered. That one seemed to them to be the most difficult and obscure to puzzle out, and much discussion was undertaken by them as they walked along. The princess put forth many theories, some rather absurd, but the young man took them all seriously, as he knew little of the world outside the forest beyond that which the witch had been able to teach him, and thus had not much ability to differentiate between her serious theories and her silly ones. Even when he could, he found himself laughing with her rather than at her, and soon enough they were off-track in their conversation, and appeared for all the world to merely be a young couple enjoying a sunny afternoon together.

It was during this time that a young woman approached them, and interrupted what they were talking about. This is what she said to them: "Oh! please, forgive me for intruding, young miss, but I cannot help but notice the extraordinary bracelet you are wearing. Is there any way I could convince you to trade it to me?"

"For what sort of object?" the princess asked, her curiosity piqued at the odd request.

"For this." The woman presented to her an egg, of a size rather larger than normal, with a shell that was not white but pale blue, with speckles of red, gold, and black upon it. "It is a rarity indeed, laid by my hen just this morning, and I have found no interested buyers for it; all who behold it say they would not know what to offer. For it seems certain that it is of some sort of magical origin, and many people wish to avoid such things."

"I haven't any idea what I would do with it either," the princess admitted. "But it seems as though it would be hard on you to have another refusal, so I bid you to take my bracelet in exchange for it." So saying, she removed her bracelet, and the trade was completed as they handed one another their items. The young woman thanked her profusely before leaving the two be, and the princess assured her it was no hardship.

The princess' next action would have been to place the egg in her bag for later inspection; however, fate intervened. A child running past jostled her arm, and the egg tumbled out of her hands. Both she and the young man attempted to catch it before it landed on the ground, but were unsuccessful, and the fragile shell shattered upon contact with the street.

Sad as it may have seemed at first, it soon became clear that it was a blessing whose disguise was immediately shed. No yolk or white or living thing rested inside the egg: it held instead a gem of shimmering scarlet, red as heart's blood, that shone brilliantly in the early afternoon sun.

"Why! what a curious thing to lie concealed within an egg!" said the princess in wonder, as she knelt to retrieve the fallen jewel. The young man knelt beside her, and together they inspected it. "Could it perhaps be the very thing we seek last, the red of hope?"

The young man agreed that it might yet be just that, and suggested that they return to the blacksmith to inquire about the three things they had found. The princess first placed the mysterious gem into her bag of provisions alongside the wedding ring and sword hilt, and then rose along with him to trek back to the blacksmith's house.

When they returned to him, they were elated when he approved of all three objects and told them that they surely must be the things spoken of in the book, based upon what he had found in other tomes when he searched in between the steps necessary for the fire's preparation. He bade them sit down at his table to rest a bit, and gave them things to drink and some additional food that they might take with them, for, he told them also, there was one last task they must complete if they were to succeed in their ultimate quest.

\---

Fakir stopped speaking, thinking that he had heard Ahiru chirp, but she shifted and looked up at him. "Fakir? Is – is something wrong? Are you thirsty, does your throat feel dry?"

"A little, I suppose, now that you mention it," he replied. "But no, my main reason for stopping was that I thought you'd fallen asleep."

"Nope." Ahiru shook her head. "I'm awake. Um, obviously… but, um, I guess it's a good time to mention that I'm getting kinda sleepy? I guess the food and the hot shower and the day and everything kinda caught up with me, and I really want to stay awake to hear more and find out what they have to do next, but at the same time I guess it's a good place to stop, cause I'll think about it all day tomorrow and wonder about it and it'll make it even more fun when you start it up again tomorrow night, you know?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." Fakir cupped her face in his hand, and tilted it up so he could kiss her cheek. "All right. We'll go to bed then, and resume tomorrow."

"Okay!" Ahiru beamed at him. "I – I'm really enjoying it, by the way! You should know that!"

"I'm glad." He smiled at her.

They pulled apart then, and she curled up on her side of the bed while Fakir got up to get himself a glass of water. Ahiru was asleep by the time he got back, and he watched her for a minute before turning the light off and climbing into bed beside her. He took her hand in the dark, as he had the night before, and soon enough was drifting off into a dream about her.

Ahiru improved further the following day: color returned to her cheeks, the coughing grew less frequent, and she was strong enough to move about the house without tiring so easily. Fakir attributed the changes to the medicine she was taking, but Ahiru said that at least some of it should be credited to him for taking such good care of her. They playfully argued about that, and resolved it with the agreement that if he accepted that, then she in turn had to accept that his recovery from the same illness was owed in part to _her_ excellent care.

They ate dinner downstairs at the table at her request, as she wanted something to help her feel like she was getting back to normal, and she waited for him afterwards and talked while he washed the dishes. After that it was time to head back upstairs, change for bed, and, even more importantly in Ahiru's eyes, resume the storytelling from the previous night.

"You stopped right after they got back to the blacksmith's house, right?" Ahiru asked as she snuggled up against Fakir. He put his arm around her, and she let out a happy little sigh almost involuntarily. Being physically close to him always made her feel good, no matter the state of her health.

"Yeah." Fakir stroked her hair a little."You wanted me to end it there because you were getting tired, and thought it made a good cliffhanger."

"It was!" She looked up at him and nodded. "I really did think about it all day! I can't wait to hear what happens next!"

"Heh, well…" He could feel his face warming at her praise. "You don't have to wait long." He stroked her hair some more, and thought about how to pick up with the story from where he'd left off. "All right… so…"

\---

The blacksmith welcomed them back in, and took from them the items which they had collected around town. He explained that he had been able to do additional research while in between steps for the special fire, and it seemed to him that what they'd gathered matched with the objects in the legends, and would be more than suitable for the construction of the key. He ushered them over to his table then, and bade them relax and enjoy the refreshing drinks he had prepared, and had for them also some carefully-packed food. When asked about this – for it was not yet time for dinner and there were still hours of work left to be done – he told them that there was one more thing they must accomplish before they set out.

A customer seeking to make a purchase had stopped by his shop earlier that day, he said, and by chance he had decided to inquire of them what they had heard about the bewitched kingdom. Luck was with him, and by extension the two of them, for the person had indeed gained some information about it recently. The city, they had said, was cloaked in deep darkness, and no light from without seemed able to penetrate it. That was the extent of their information, but it was enough to make the blacksmith believe that the darkness shrouding the kingdom was of magical origin, a part of the sorcerer's curse. "Therefore," he said, "you must take with you a light that is also of magical origin, one that will not fade or be doused by whatever spell keeps the sunlight from reaching those poor cursed people. Such a thing is rumored to lie beneath this town, deep in the catacombs which are the ruins of the city that once stood here long, long ago. I say that you should make use of the time I require for crafting the key to search for it; it is for that purpose that I have prepared for you some food to take along, for you may become hungry again during your task."

What kind of thing were they to look for, you ask? The princess too was curious about that, and pressed the blacksmith for information, wanting to know what it was they should be looking for so that they might recognize it upon sight. A magical lamp, he told her, made of scarlet crystal and gold. It would provide for them the light they needed, no matter how deep the darkness.

With that description held firmly in their minds, the princess and the young man packed the prepared food away, thanked the blacksmith, and set out once more for what they hoped would be their final task before their entry into the kingdom. The entrance to the catacombs laid not far from the blacksmith's home, and they had little trouble entering it. The troubles they would have would shortly begin, but not until they were inside.

Wait and listen, for you will hear of their troubles soon enough. They had not gone far inside the catacombs when a voice spoke them seemingly from nowhere, with no visible source of the sound. This is what it said to them: "Visitors to my labyrinth, I welcome you warmly. Your purpose is easily illuminated." The voice sounded like that of a woman, kindly yet ethereal in some way. "Yet those who seek the light must not fear the darkness. To prove yourself worthy, advance without fear and set yourself against the three tests I have prepared for you. Should you solve the riddles, my light you shall have. I bid you come forth."

Her voice faded in a dimming echo, and the princess turned to the young man with concern etched upon her face. "Three tests? I have never been any good at riddles… do you think we can do it?"

"Yes." He smiled at her, and she felt the same strange fluttering within herself that he felt upon seeing her smile. "We have come this far together; I see no reason why we cannot accomplish this as well. Neither of us is alone; and if you have not already noticed then I will point out to you that we have thus far made an excellent team."

"That is true." She was able to smile back at him. "I do feel stronger when I am with you, yes."

He blushed, but nevertheless was able to admit that it was the same for him, and so they set off together into the catacombs with no further delays. The path was winding but linear, and they did not fear becoming lost or taking a wrong turn. After some time it did grow monotonous, however, and the princess was on the verge of voicing her confusion at the simplicity of it, when all of a sudden the tunnel opened up and they found themselves in a wide room with three archways leading to different paths.

"This must be the first test," said the princess, as they inspected their options. The path on the left was dimly lit by torches that flickered feebly in the shadows; the middle one was not lit at all; and the one on the right was so brightly lit seemed almost to be full daylight in there, as though some window they could not see allowed in the sun. "Which one do you think is correct?"

"I am not sure… in truth, it could be any of these, but I feel most drawn to the center one," the young man told her. "The brightly lit one seems wrong, somehow, despite that most people would probably take that one."

"Oh! yes, that seems like a trick!" the princess agreed. "And the voice did say not to fear the darkness… so that seems to be a hint for this test. There is the dimly lit one as well, that one is fairly dark, but it seems to me that we are supposed to brave the complete darkness if we are to find the lamp."

"That was my thought too." He hesitated, and then took her hand in his. "Shall we go then?"

"Yes!" the princess said, and they advanced into the darkness. Nothing could be seen in the tunnel, but they made their way through, and felt braver for having each other close. It was also an effective mask for the blushes on both their faces not only at the act of holding hands, but at how it made them feel inside.

When at last the long, dark corridor came to an end they let go of each other and shielded their eyes, that they might adjust to even the relatively dim lighting in the room they had arrived in. A few small torches burned on the walls, revealing the presence of three doors with symbols carved into the wood. The left door bore the symbol of water, the middle door that of wind, and the right one the symbol of fire.

"Which one do you think this time?" the young man asked. "I was taught to let the wind be a guide to me in many things, yet I am nevertheless unsure."

"I do not think the wind is correct in this instance." The princess had a thoughtful frown on her face. "I think that I recall part of an old nursery rhyme told to me as a child… I do not remember all of it, but one verse drifts back into my head now. It said that while the wind will sometimes lead you astray, fire will always light your way. We are searching for a light right now, so I think we should follow the path of fire."

The young man felt that this was solid reasoning, and so he opened the door which bore the symbol of fire upon it. Beyond it was another tunnel shrouded in darkness; they took each other's hands once more and stepped into the shadows, certain that this was a sign of having chosen the correct path.

Again did they walk down a long, dark corridor hand in hand to eventually emerge in a dimly lit room with three options before them. As soon as their eyes had adjusted, they took to looking over this final test. As with the previous time, three doors offered themselves up silently, each with a different drawing inscribed upon them. The left door had on it a depiction of the moon, the center door bore a rendition of the sun, and the right door the stars.

Before they could discuss their options and what the riddle this time may be, the voice spoke again, and this is what it said: "All three give light from up above: the moon, the stars, and the sun. But of them you may choose only one. Select the light that is closest to a lamp or else be turned aside, never to see my shine."

In silence they considered the final riddle, and then after some thought the young man ventured to speak. "I think," said he, "that perhaps we are not meant to consider it literally, for each object seems to be equally distant from a lamp. We are meant, I believe, to consider which one is most like a lamp."

The princess agreed. "Which, then, do you think fulfills that requirement?"

"Of that I am not certain. I thought perhaps the stars, for their light is less bright and they are the smallest, but I am not unshakable in this conclusion and would hear your thoughts as well."

"Well, I am not entirely certain either, however…" The princess pondered. "I think that it may well be the moon. For the moon does not shine on its own, but must borrow the light of the sun to cast a glow upon the earth; and so too does a lamp require a light from another source, it must be lit by fire to shine for us. Perhaps that sounds like foolish reasoning, but it is the best I could come up with."

"No… I think that is good reasoning." He smiled at her. "We will try your idea."

She blushed, and he took her hand, and she opened the door with the moon drawn on it. As with the other paths that had led them here, the one behind it was entirely dark, without any light. No longer did either of them fear the darkness, however, for they had each other, and their clasped hands anchored them and gave them warmth from within.

As they drew near to the end of this final tunnel, a brighter light than before began to shine upon them. They shielded their eyes to let them adjust once more, and when they were able to see clearly were surprised by what they beheld. A spirit in the shape of a woman stood there, seemingly made of magical fire. She spoke to them, and said this: "Greetings, young seekers. You have proven yourselves worthy, and so my power is now at your command. Take my lamp, and when you have need of my glow, simply say to it 'Lamp, shine your light upon us'. I will then provide for you a light which can never be extinguished."

She faded away, revealing the lamp that the blacksmith had described, sitting on an old table. But even as she vanished, she spoke again, telling them that she would also open the way to the surface for them. And lo! Behind the table a door did open, revealing stairs that sunlight shone upon. The princess placed the lamp into her bag, and both she and the young man voiced their thanks to the kindly spirit before exiting the room and finding themselves once again on the city streets.

It turned out that they had occupied the rest of the afternoon with their search, but the sun had not yet finished setting when they emerged. All around them children were being called in for supper, and those at work were finishing their own tasks and heading for home. The princess and the young man admired the sunset together for a few moments before setting themselves to finding their way back to the blacksmith's house, to give him the good news and see if the key had yet been made.

When they arrived on his doorstep again the blacksmith told them that the key would take a few more hours to prepare, and thus they might as well stay for the night. They agreed to this, as they both secretly felt too wearied to continue on to the kingdom after so long a day, and sat down to eat at his table. The food he had packed for them earlier he bade them keep as provisions for tomorrow, and he served them a hot and simple meal which he partook of as well before returning to work. After they had eaten the princess and the young man stayed up for a short while, talking about the events of that day, and what awaited them on the morrow, and other things besides, before finally retiring to the guest rooms that the blacksmith had fixed up for them.

They slept for many peaceful hours and yes, it is possible that they dreamed about each other. In any case, when they awoke the blacksmith gave them breakfast, and afterwards presented them with the key. They thanked him for all he had done for them, the princess even going so far as to offer payment, which he refused, saying that he did not feel right asking to be paid in exchange for doing something that would help the poor cursed people regain their rightful forms. When she had thanked him once more she and the young man set out on their way, on the final leg of their journey that would take them now to their destination.

Though they were closer now to the kingdom than they had ever been before, the trip nevertheless took them the better part of the morning. When it came into view they paused to sit and eat the midday meal that had been prepared for them, that they might bolster their strength before venturing into the unknown. True, the main details of the curse had been divulged to them, but they still knew not whether the bespelled citizens posed a threat to them, nor whether there were other dangers that hid inside the walls. Thus their conversation during the meal was limited and quiet.

Upon reaching the gates, the princess drew the key out of her bag. Gold threads ran like veins through the silver body of it, and the red gem shone faintly. Even here outside the city the shadows seemed deeper, and the light pale and weak despite that the sun was high in the sky above their heads. She stared down at the key for a moment, and then looked up at the young man, who was watching her. A look of silent understanding passed between them, and she nodded, and then with a deep breath fit the key into the lock.

As the blacksmith had promised, it turned without difficulty, and the door swung open with nary a creak to mark their entry into the realm. Their hesitation lasted for only a moment before both of them walked inside. As soon as they were clear of it, the door swung shut behind them with a great, mournful clang, and they were in an instant shrouded in darkness, without a drop of sunlight to see each other by. It was a blessing that they had been warned of this and been able to prepare accordingly; the princess replaced the key in her bag and withdrew the lamp. To the spirit inside she whispered the words she had been told to say, and without any delay it flared to life, bathing her and the young man in a warm and gentle glow that lifted their courage.

With the lamp held in one hand and the young man's hand in the other, the princess advanced deeper into the city, seeking the city's tallest tower. The light never flickered or faded, but neither did it give them a wide view of their surroundings, so they proceeded slowly. As they walked they became aware that many of the crows, their attention drawn by the light of the lamp, had taken an interest in them and were watching them. They seemed curious rather than malicious, however, and were content to merely follow them as they searched, often in the form of hopping along comically on the ground. This made the princess relax enough to laugh, and the sound of her laughter warmed the young man's heart enough that he too relaxed, and smiled down at her.

At last, after what felt like an eternity of wandering, they located the clock tower which was the highest point in the city. Its door too was locked, but the key that had opened the way into the city itself opened also this final barrier. Into the tower they went, and up, up, up the winding staircase did they climb, ascending higher and higher until they almost became dizzy. They both felt on the verge of collapse by the time they reached the top, and emerged on a small balcony just below the clock's face. They took a moment to catch their breath, and then the princess handed the young man the lamp so that she might retrieve the witch's potion from among her things.

She dispersed it into the air as she had been instructed, and it held true to the witch's promise: it transformed into a shower of rain which fell with a soothing mercy over all the kingdom, dispelling the curse and restoring the citizens to their proper forms. So too did the magical lock upon the city break, and the darkness lifted, allowing in the sunlight once more. Even from so great a height did the joyful cries of the cured people reach their ears, and they retreated from the balcony to descend the tower and return to the streets, for the princess wished to find her sister.

They did not have to seek her out, however, for when they finally reached the bottom of the tower once more they opened its door to find that the prince and the elder princess awaited them just outside. The younger princess joyfully embraced her sister, and was showered with profuse thanks for all that she had done for them. She and the young man were taken swiftly to the royal palace after that, and made to sit at table with the newlywed couple, to tell their tale whilst partaking in a great feast.

Three days did they rest and celebrate in the kingdom before preparing to leave. Rewards were offered to them, but this they mostly deferred. For themselves they desired naught but fresh provisions for the journey back, but for their efforts they felt recompense was due both to the blacksmith and the witch, and so they requested that they be given things which they would present to them on their way, for they owed their success to their work. This request was met without hesitation, and once they had packed everything together departed the kingdom.

To the blacksmith's house they proceeded first, and gave unto him the rich gifts that had been sent with them as his payment for the work he had done for them. He again offered them a meal and a place to rest for the night, which they gratefully accepted; in the morning, they once again were on their way, and soon enough found themselves once more in the enchanted forest where they had first met.

It was during their walk under the trees that the princess finally spoke of something which had been troubling her since their departure from her sister's kingdom. "I have thought much," she said, "upon the question you asked me when last we were here, about what wish I would make for myself rather than for others."

"Oh?" said the young man. "And what have you concluded on the matter?"

"Well, first of all, it seems to me that I am less content than I used to be to stay within the confines of my castle. I have discovered within myself a desire to see more of the lands round my realm, to learn more about the world by seeing it with my own eyes, and to do what I can to help others while I do this. I still will return to my kingdom to assure my parents of my safety, and tell them of all that has transpired, but after that I think I will travel a bit more." She hesitated for a moment, and then plunged onwards. "You are, of course, welcome to come with me, if a desire to see more of the world beyond this forest still lurks within you, and if you do not mind my company."

"If I am to be completely honest, then I must confess that I cherish your company," the young man said in a quiet voice, his face going red and his gaze falling away from her. "I would be glad to go with you, if you in turn can bear _my_ company."

"You are greatly unkind to yourself to speak in those terms. For I…" She drew a deep breath, and summoned up all her courage. "I cherish not only your company, but also you yourself. If we are being truly honest, then I cannot stay silent about this any longer: I love you."

She could not bear to look at him out of fright, and so it was that she did not see the stunned look on his face at her words, nor did she see it transform into a joyful smile. But she did hear him when he spoke to her again, saying this: "I love you too. More dearly than anything in this world do I love you, and would wish at every well and spring that I be allowed to remain by your side forever."

Tears of wonder and happiness sprang to the princess' eyes at hearing that, and she wasted no time in flinging herself at him and throwing her arms around him. He held her tightly for several minutes before they pulled apart, smiling blissfully at each other, and resumed their journey whilst speaking with excitement of the plans they had from this point forward. They shared their joy with the witch when they arrived at her house, and she gave them her warmest blessing. In return they extended an invitation to their wedding, which occurred not long after the princess' homecoming. After a short stay in her kingdom they indeed departed, to share more adventures as they had planned. They learned much of their world, and helped many people that they met, and all in all lived long and happy lives together.

\---

"The end." Fakir looked down at Ahiru as he finished the tale, nervous both that she had slept through the ending or that she had disliked it, despite that she had just made happy noises at the couple's confessions of love.

Both fears were unfounded, as Ahiru was beaming up at him, and clapped her hands together. "Oh, Fakir! That was _wonderful!_ Thank you so much, I _loved_ it!"

"Really?" He lifted a hand to idly stroke her hair. "There isn't anything you would change about it? It never bored you?"

"No, of course not!" Ahiru shook her head. "I – I always love your stories, Fakir, and I loved this one too! It was so good, and never boring, not once, not a _bit_ , and I loved how you took pieces of our story and made it into a fairy tale like this. Thank you so much, it was so nice to listen to every night!"

"You're welcome." He kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to be able to take your mind off being sick."

"You did!" Ahiru beamed at him again. "A-and I'm almost all better now, cause you've been taking such good care of me."

"Just like you did for me." Ahiru giggled, remembering their playful "fight" from earlier, and moved to hug him; he slipped his arms around her and held her for a few minutes in comfortable quiet.

"I think I need to go to sleep now, though." She yawned as she pulled back from the hug. "It's kinda late, right? I should sleep if I want to be even better tomorrow."

"Mmmm. Yeah." Fakir kissed her cheek again. "Sounds good."

They each did what they needed to do, and then climbed back in bed beside each other. Fakir smiled at her, and gave her another goodnight kiss on the cheek before turning out the light. Ahiru snuggled up close to him in the dark, and this time she took his hand first. "Fakir?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." She squeezed his hand. "I'm glad I have you by my side."

"I love you too." His fingers tightened a little around hers. "And I'll always be here."

His intent, as was hers, was to live a long and happy life with her, just like the pair in the story. They didn't say it aloud, but they didn't need to. They both knew already what their plan for their own story was, and worked to make it a reality. For them, happily ever after was no fairy tale. It was the world they lived in every day.


End file.
